Buenafe on SFI theft: Real culprit at large, misled probe

CEBU, Philippines - Police believe that whoever is behind the P1.6 million burglary inside the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) tried to mislead their investigation.

Sr. Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, Cebu City Police Office director, said they will continue to search for the burglar “who is still at large and unidentified,” also assuring to deepen their investigation to discover the truth.

Buenafe told The FREEMAN that the person responsible for the crime at the sports center “planted additional” evidence.

“There was an attempt to mislead the investigation… they are also thinking mammals like us,” he said. “Whoever did it knows about it (the money).”

The director said it seemed that the two bolt cutters recovered from the crime scene were just placed at the area although these were not used during the burglary.   According to him, the only equipment the culprit used was a crow bar which was more than enough to take the vault’s door off from its hinges. 

When asked who might have tried to mislead their investigation, the director only said, “I will not speculate, but I will investigate.”

He said there were several inconsistencies in the declaration of lost money and property.

Prosecutor Gandhi Truya says the narration by the witnesses in the complaint against security guard Joselyndon Jabagat lacks some details.

For one, nobody could say exactly where they got the figure of P1.6 million, the total amount supposedly carted away. Also, he asked why no official or representative from the foundation assisted the police in filing the complaint.

Had there been one, they would have been able to explain how the supposed witnesses came up with the amount of P1.6 million.

Government agencies are now waiting for the result after the polygraph tests conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-7 as requested by the police.

NBI Assistant Regional Director Lauro Reyes said the result will be endorsed to NBI Central Office for signing and this will take time. He added that the polygraph test was postponed from last Wednesday to yesterday after the police failed to bring the affidavits or the statements of the witnesses.

Sinulog Foundation Inc. Executive Director Ricky Ballesteros said he already gave information to chief polygraph examiner Ronilo Rocal. Rocal had said he suggested for Ballesteros to be the first one to undergo the test.

When told by the media about the suggestion for him to take the polygraph test, Ballesteros in an interview yesterday said, “It depends upon the situation.”

Those who took the test were cashier Mary Angeline Pascual, Manuel Quemada, utility crew; Jon Eric Carcedo, security guard; Rosita Velasco, maintenance; John Michael Pepito, sinulog staff and Jabagat.

Earlier, the TRS filed a complaint for qualified theft against Jabagat for allegedly involved of the burglary at the office of the SFI inside Cebu City Sports Center last Monday dawn. He was the on duty at the time of the incident.

Jabagat told The FREEMAN that GDS Security Agency will support him in his case.

Retired Major Raul Rendon, GDS Security and Detective Agency security consultant, visited him at Cebu City Police Office stockade last Wednesday night and promised to assist him.

Aside from the legal counsel provided by the GDS Security and Detective Agency, Jabagat’s wife, Marilyn told The FREEMAN they have also found a legal counsel of their own.

Lawyer Ian Velasquez, according to Marilyn, promised to assist them. They are also currently coordinating with lawyer Gloria Dalawampo to help them.

Jabagat will be transferred to the new Police Station 2 anytime this week, said Buenafe.

The burglary at the Sinulog Foundation Inc. served as a lesson for the GDS Security and Detective Agency not to accept any key of the establishment where they are assigned, said Rendon.

Rendon said they did not expect that entrusting keys to guards could involve them in crimes.

“For me man gud kung ibilin ang yawi sa guard it means trust and they trusted them but now I realized it’s a don’t kayang guard ang iduot kung dunay kaso,” he said.

Rendon said Jabagat is one of his best security guards who has been in the service for almost 19 years and was assigned at the SFI for almost 16 years.

Rendon admitted that Jabagat was not assigned at a fixed post as he also checked the entire area. He is convinced that Jabagat was not involved because after he was invited for questioning that morning, he still went to work that night.

“If siya pa sigurado ko nga dili na siya mubalik anang gabii, ni-duty pa man gyud siya meaning dili siya guilty,” Rendon said.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said the burglary that happened inside the office of the Sinulog Foundation Incorporated at the Cebu City Sports Center can be considered as a wake up call that security problem shall not be taken for granted.

Young also sees the need to get real safe vaults instead of using steel cabinets.

Also most important, he said, are closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras to be installed in strategic places.

In the City Hall’s legislative building, the vice mayor said they bought P400,000 worth of CCTV cameras. Once these are installed, they will check on whether they need to buy more.

Earlier, the office of Councilor Alvin Dizon and the City Hall post office were robbed. — (FREEMAN)